Flee (Flugt)
Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Flee is not just a typical documentary. Similar to the award-winning Waltz with Bashir, the story of Armin is told through animated scenes–with archival graphic footage scattered regularly throughout. Through multiple incredible interviews, Armin tells his former classmate - the filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen – about his childhood in Afghanistan and his escape from the Taliban. For more than 20 years he has not confided in anyone the true events of his odyssey, which have led him and his family to Russia and later alone to Denmark - for good reasons, as will be revealed by the film. Despite the heavy subject matter, Flee still manages to end on a positive note, as Armin's search for freedom and a home comes to an end. Although war and flight have become parts of our daily experiences, this three-times Oscar-nominated film is a Must-see, as it helps us understand the length in which such trauma can haunt a person.
14 May 2022
20:00 h,
More information
| Direction | Jonas Poher Rasmussen |
| Country | 50 |
| Year | 2021 |
| Duration | 89 min |
| Language | Original with English Subtitles |
| Production | Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen, Charlotte De La Gournerie |
| Camera | Mauricio Gonzalez-Aranda |
| Script | Jonas Poher Rasmussen, „Amin“ |
| Editing | Janus Billeskov Jansen |
| Sound | Armin Badde |
| Music | Uno Helmersson |
Nominated for three Oscars (Best Foreign Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Animated Feature), Golden Globes and BAFTAs
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About the director
Danish-French director and screenwriter Johas Poher Rasmussen has been working as a documentary filmmaker since the early 2000s. In 2010 he graduated from the Copenhagen film school Super16. Since then, he has managed to establish himself internationally, most notably with Searching for Bill (2012). His latest film Flee had premiered worldwide at the Sundance Film Festivals.This year, he was nominated for three Oscars (Best Foreign Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Animated Feature), the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs and has already won numerous film awards, including European Film Award and the British Independent Film Award (BIFA).
Press Reviews
Filmstarts.de: "Johas Poher Rasmussen's outstanding animated documentary explores the search for homeland, lost identity, and the overcoming of the past. Flee depicts an emotional and haunting story about confronting a traumatic escape as well as the inner struggle to accept oneself and one's past."
Zürich Film Festival: "The result is a deeply moving and groundbreaking animated documentary about flight, migration, and the search for identity in modern-day Europe."
The director on the Film
„Amin wanted to come to terms with his past–because all the trauma associated with his childhood was creating distance between everyone in his life, not being able to share his full self had become a heavy burden for Amin. But he also wanted to share his story to make people understand what it means to flee for your life. The animation made Amin feel comfortable with getting his story out, we could use his real voice in the film, but he could still remain anonymous. Which was also important for Amin as he has family who moved back to Afghanistan and he wants to respect their privacy too."
From an Interview with The Times of Israel:
„I didn’t set out to do “a refugee story. [...] This all just came from being curious about my friend. It came from that positive place, and over time it changed. In 2015, the refugee crisis really hit Europe, and there were, for example, Syrians walking the highways of Denmark. That was a turning point to realize this isn’t just about my friend, but giving refugees a human face. It became important to me to express that being a refugee is not an identity, it is a life circumstance."
International Feature Film Program
